Walk-in behavioral health crisis care center opens in Harrisburg

An Emergency Behavioral Health Crisis Walk-In Center has been launched by Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties in partnership with Connections Health Solutions.

The tri-county partnership with Connections Health Solutions created the 24/7 walk-in behavioral health crisis care center, which will open in phases, with the crisis mobile units becoming operational on Wednesday. According to a release, the center is projected to open for adults and children in the coming weeks, serving individuals ages 14 and up, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. The 24/7 crisis walk-in center provides immediate access to mental health and substance use crisis care for individuals ages 14 and up, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

“This project represents the epitome of public servants working together for the greater good of all our residents,” Cumberland County Commissioner Kelly Neiderer said in a statement. “To see this crisis center firsthand makes me hopeful for the future of our residents who are struggling with mental health and substance use issues. We can hopefully look forward to shorter wait times in emergency rooms and fewer people with behavioral health issues housed in our jails.”

Located at 1100 S. Cameron Street, Harrisburg, the center will provide walk-in care and crisis stabilization services, and mobile response units to address additional crises in the community.

“This new crisis walk-in center represents a vision and partnership that will enhance services where options don’t exist,” said Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick III. “This center presents an opportunity to triage and connect individuals with serious mental illnesses to services rather than the front door of the jail or emergency room.

“Intergovernmental cooperation between the leadership of Perry, Cumberland and Dauphin counties has demonstrated that mental health service solutions, as an alternative to state hospital institutions, happen at the local level. I look forward to continuing this partnership,” added Hartwick.

The center is operated by Connections Health Solutions, a national behavioral health care provider with crisis response centers and mobile crisis units across the United States.

“At Connections, it is our mission to provide immediate care to people in crisis and connect them to long-term support within their community,” said Colin LeClair, chief executive officer for Connections Health Solutions. “We’re appreciative of the leaders of Cumberland County, Dauphin County, and Perry County for their vision and partnership to bring a new model for accessible behavioral health crisis care to Southcentral Pennsylvania. We look forward to the positive impact the center will have on the community and on the individuals in need.”

No appointment will be required to access care at the center. Additionally, the center will accept 100% of first responder behavioral health emergent care patient drop-offs, per the release.

Staffed by medical practitioners, clinical and nursing staff, mental health professionals, and case management personnel, treatment and observation programs will be available 24/7. The mobile crisis response program will include two mobile response units, providing community-based intervention to individuals in need at home, work, or anywhere in the community where they are experiencing a crisis.

Behavioral health professionals will assess, stabilize, and connect individuals to appropriate levels of care, if necessary. The clinical team will provide immediate access to behavioral health care in the appropriate setting and link individuals to local resources and services to support long-term recovery and treatment.

“With this collaborative effort, Perry County residents and their neighbors in Cumberland and Dauphin counties will have a dedicated resource if they or their loved ones experience a mental health emergency, said Perry County Commissioner Frank Campbell. “This will truly be a lifesaver for so many in our communities.”

The three counties partnered to apply for a state grant to fund the project. The Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services awarded the counties nearly $13.1 million in Community Mental Health Block Grant American Rescue Plan Act funding from the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and $5.5 million in funding from Capital Area Behavioral Health Collaborative reinvestment funds. A local match was not required for the $18.6 million project.